If you recall, week 2 ended in a request for red bell peppers, so I obliged with not one, but two nights of the headliner.
Week 3: Chicken Pasta Pesto with Roasted Red Peppers
Chicken pasta pesto is an old favorite of ours that the girls have always loved so I knew I was at least starting out in the safe zone. Then I got downright audacious and threw in a jar of roasted red peppers. Risky, I know.
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut up (grilled is best)
1/2 box any shape whole wheat pasta, prepared as directed
Pesto (homemade is best but we also love Frontier's organic mix)
1 jar roasted red peppers, cut up
This is where it gets positively tricky...
Combine all. Mix. Serve.
Verdict: This was devoured without complaint and both girls even voluntarily ate more than their required single bite of vegetable. According to them, if you take a bite of chicken and pepper at the same time, you can't even taste the pepper. Evidently that's how we like our vegetables, folks. Hidden in the anonymity of tastelessness.
Week 4: Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers
(Adapted from My Recipes)
How pretty is that? My brain normally shudders at the sight of most vegetables but that looks down right... edible. That is saying a lot, people.
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
4 chicken breasts
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1-2 any color bell peppers, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Brush chicken with 1 Tbsp olive oil and sprinkle spice rub over to cover well. Add chicken to pan, cooking 3 mins or until browned. Turn chicken over and cook an additional minute. Arrange chicken in an oiled 11x7 inch baking dish and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until done.
Heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, onions, and rosemary. Saute 3 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high again and stir in vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper. Cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve bell pepper mixture over chicken.
Verdict: Although the girls weren't quite as keen on this one, there was no whining and I think they will warm up to it after a while. Both Andy and I declared this one to be another keeper.
Next up? Black beans and cauliflower. Thankfully not at the same time.
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